Parenting Teenagers: A Joyful Job
Author: Shannon Miller Lifestyle
Raising a teenager is both rewarding and challenging.
We start to see our children developing into individuals that want to be treated as adults even though they may not quite ready to accept the responsibility.
This transition into adulthood can be a very difficult process as teenagers face so many changes both physically and emotionally. As they start to taste a little of that independence parents may start to notice some resistance and conflict because your teenager is eager to spread his or her wings.
Below are ten great, simplified tips on parenting teenagers. This may be a good thing to print out and have available. Although there may be some bumps in the road along the way, try to embrace and enjoy those teenage years.
10 Tips to Parenting Teenagers:
- Give teenagers some room to explore.
- Choose your battles wisely.
- Invite your children’s friends to the house.
- Have a set of rules and a system of discipline.
- Have a system for ‘keeping you informed.’
- Talk to children about the risks they face.
- Teach your children how to deal with risk.
- Make sure you are always approachable.
- Don’t cushion your children from emotion.
- Remember that you are a role model.
I want to briefly touch on a few of these that I believe are incredibly important to understand when raising a teenager.
This is an exciting time is a teenager’s life, with so much happening so quickly. They also, however, face many temptations that they have not been exposed to before. Talk to your children about the risks they face. As much as we want to protect them from the negative things in this world, it may be worse if we do not educate and prepare them for what is out there so that they will know what to do when they are faced with a difficult or challenging situation.
It will take a lot of guidance and patience on our part as parents. When it doesn’t seem like they aren’t listening, they are. They may not do everything you say, but they are hearing you. Communicate and make yourself available and approachable when your teenager wants to talk. Parents should be role models for their kids in action and words. As scary as this may sound they watch and mirror us more than we know.
One common thing I have heard parents say repeatedly is to choose your battles wisely. Don’t sweat the small stuff, because there might be a lot of it. We hope as parents not to make mistakes, but we must be forgiving of ourselves. We’re bound to make a few along the way.
Source: Parenting 4 Dummies.com